Raja Athletic Club coach Fadlu Davids opened up about the difficult talk he had with his Simba SC recruits, Neo Maema and Rushine De Reuck, just before his abrupt exit from the Tanzanian club.
Davids’ departure came swiftly, despite the Dar es Salaam side’s positive start to their continental campaign. The former Orlando Pirates and Maritzburg United coach explained that his primary concern was ensuring the sustained progress of Maema and De Reuck, two top South African talents who had struggled for consistent game time before moving to Tanzania.
The 44-year-old coach holds a deep connection with De Reuck. “I know Rushine De Reuck because I was the one who gave him his debut at Maritzburg United,” he told SAFJA members. “So, I know him from the player. He was coming with a plastic bag containing his boots for a trial.”
The former Manning Rangers forward orchestrated the duo’s move to Simba SC to bring in players with CAF experience. He felt both players needed his support: “Both of them needed that support, first of all, from a coach, because both are top talents in South Africa who have never had much game time over the last couple of years. It was easy for me to recommend them to the club. And as I said, the president really backed me on which signings I needed to make.”
FADLU DAVIDS’ DIFFICULT CONVERSATION WITH SOUTH AFRICAN DUO
With his decision made, Davids sat down with the duo and explained the situation. “I had that conversation with them. It was a difficult conversation,” he said. Despite the shock of his exit, he is confident in the duo’s ability to succeed at Wekundu Wa Msimbazi.
“They’ve immediately established themselves as top players in the club without me, and that shows that they are top players, and they will be able to manage now, even though they’ve lost their coach,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Cape Town-born coach revealed that the South African league remains a key source for potential signings. However, he stressed the difficulty in finding the right type of player for the unique North African environment.
“We are looking at all areas of the world, and we’re not close to South Africa. It’s definitely a market that I know,” Davids confirmed.
He warns certain PSL players who might struggle to adapt to the Botola Pro league. The challenge, he added, is finding a player with the “right mentality to be able to handle the pressures of a big club like Raja.”
Davids has the mandate to return Raja to the CAF Champions League next season. After seven matches, they are currently fourth with 15 points. The Casablanca giants have yet to lose a game under Davids, who previously served as an assistant to Jozef Zinnbauer at the club.
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